Donald Coffelt, P.E. (E 2008)

Associate Vice President for Facilities Management & Campus Services
Adjunct Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

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Bio

Donald Coffelt serves as the Associate Vice President for Facilities Management and Campus Services at Carnegie Mellon University. His 350-member team provides facility services, infrastructure management, utility operations and auxiliary services required to support the university’s 150-acre Pittsburgh campus. Reporting to the Vice President for Operations, Coffelt is also responsible for coordinating university-wide sustainability practices.

Coffelt holds a concurrent appointment as an Adjunct Professor in Carnegie Mellon’s top ranked Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with an expertise in Infrastructure Management. He passionately promotes student and faculty access to university facilities for education and research – “The University as a Lab".

From 1995 to 2003, Coffelt was an executive for a Pittsburgh area facility services and technology firm with nation-wide program management responsibilities. From 1985 through 2013, he served in a variety of leadership assignments across the United States as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard before completing a 28-year career at the rank of Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

In addition to his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, Coffelt is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT and the University of Illinois. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and licensed as a professional engineer in Alaska, and Pennsylvania. His published works include a graduate-level textbook, Fundamentals of Infrastructure Management. Active in community service, Dr. Coffelt also serves several boards including the Andrew Carnegie Society.

Education

• PhD 2008 - Carnegie Mellon University
• MS 1989 – University of Illinois
• BS 1985 – United States Coast Guard Academy
• Ensign U.S.C.G. 1985 – United States Coast Guard Academy

Research

Research Group: AIS 
Research Center: CERCA

• Infrastructure Deterioration
• Total Cost of Ownership Modeling
• University as a Lab Data-Driven and Automated Resilience
• Regional Projection of Climate Change Impacts for Engineering Designs
• Adaptable Engineered and Natural Infrastructure
• Understanding Human-Infrastructure Interaction Under Climate Change

Publications

• Coffelt, D., and Hendrickson, C (2017) "Fundamentals of Infrastructure Management." figshare. 
• Coffelt, D., and Hendrickson, C . (2011) "Case study of occupant costs in roof management." Journal of Architectural Engineering 18.4 : 341-348.
• Coffelt, D., and Hendrickson, C . (2011) “Carnegie Mellon University Facilities as an Educational Laboratory.” Proceedings of the Architectural Engineering Institute National Conference . AEI 2011: pp. 36-43.
• Coffelt, D., and Hendrickson, C. (2010) "Life-cycle costs of commercial roof systems." Journal of Architectural Engineering 16.1 : 29-36. Coffelt, D., Hendrickson,C., and Healey, S. (2009) "Inspection, condition assessment, and management decisions for commercial roof systems." Journal of Architectural Engineering 16.3 : 94-99.
• Coffelt, C. (2008) Roof management improvement: Improving infrastructure management decision making through a consideration of total life cycle cost and deterioration. ProQuest.

Professional Service

• Senior Staff Officer U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh.
• Assistant Deputy Reserve Director Joint Concept Development and Experimentation Branch of the U.S. Joint Service Command
• Senior Reserve Officer U.S. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley
• U.S. Coast Guard Liaison Officer Pentagon Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Reserve Command Advisor U.S. Coast Guard Operations Systems Center
• Director of Programs for Private-sector Facilities Operations
• Director of Public Works at the U.S. Coast Guard Shipyard
• Chief Construction, Planning and Environmental for U.S. Coast Guard Alaska
• Chief of Buoy Tender Operations for the U.S.C.G.C Cowslip.

Recent Awards

• Carnegie Mellon University 50th Anniversary Founder (2017)
• Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (2014)
• Captain (O-6) in the United States Coast Guard Reserve (2012)
• United States Department of Defense Joint Service Commendation Medal for leadership and research expertise (2011)
• United States Coast Guard Unit Commendation Ribbon & Alexander Hamilton Award for Team Operational Excellence (2009)
• United States Coast Guard Commendation Medal for leadership and emergency response (2009)